America’s Doomsday Scenario: Democrat President, Republican Congress

Want a really truly scary Doomsday scenario for troubled America, as it heads toward elections on Tuesday Nov. 6, and for the world?

Here it is. Obama is re-elected by a narrow margin, allowing Republicans to challenge the legitimacy of his leadership. There may even be Supreme Court appeals or prolonged recounts in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania or Florida.

Meanwhile, the Republicans retain control of the House, and win four Senate seats, to take control of the Senate.

Doomsday. Deadlock. Obama is President, but he cannot get any decent legislation through Congress. The Republicans can repeal Obamacare, and pass tons of laws, but Obama will veto many of them, and the Republicans cannot muster a 2/3 majority for an over-ride.

If this sounds imaginary, well, remember the well-loved humanitarian Karl Rove? Rove is back, with his American Crossroads SuperPAC and team of billionaires writing checks for candidates he likes. Here is what Rove reportedly told a meeting of his SuperPAC, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek:

Rove said his total budget was $300 million, with $200 million intended for the presidential race, $70 million for the Senate, and $32 million for the House. “We should sink Todd Akin,” he said about the Republican Senate candidate from Missouri, who is under pressure to leave the race following his comments about “legitimate rape.” Rove joked, “If he’s found mysteriously murdered, don’t look for my whereabouts!” (Rove later apologized for the remark.) The Republicans need four seats to gain a Senate majority, Rove continued. He felt “really good” about Nebraska and was optimistic about North Dakota, even though Democrats have a strong candidate in former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp. In Wisconsin, former Governor Tommy Thompson “has an excellent shot to win—he has a quirky, cross-party appeal.” Virginia is going to be tight. Of those, Rove declared, “we can win three.” New Mexico, Hawaii, and Connecticut are “longer shots,” Rove went on, but “I think we’ve got a shot to take at least one of those three.” In Connecticut, Rove noted that Linda McMahon, the former head of World Wrestling Entertainment, whom he had once written off, was running a “really smart campaign.” And the state, he noted happily, had moved to the right. “Those affluent, socially liberal, economically conservative people in Fairfield County and the New York suburbs have finally figured out that their pocketbooks matter more than abortion.

The only thing worse than bad leadership (e.g. Romney as President) is no leadership and deadlock. And that, alas, may be exactly what America gets on Nov. 6.